Senior Director, Global Research Nursery

About The Opportunity

The Senior Director of Global Research Nursery leads the strategic development and execution of Driscoll’s global research nursery operations, ensuring worldclass enablement of breeding and research programs across multiple geographies. This role oversees a diverse network of internal facilities and external partners, responsible for delivering high quality plant material on time, on spec, on cost and on purpose. The Senior Director drives continuous improvement by expanding successful nursery operating procedures through the Global Research Nursery Network, developing a technology roadmap that enhances efficiency and data collection, and ensuring rigorous clean stock and foundation standards. A deep understanding of production systems, plant types, and global research needs is essential, enabling the transformation of strategy into operational excellence while protecting Driscoll’s proprietary materials and information.

This leader brings extensive horticultural expertise—12+ years in greenhouse, nursery, or tissue culture operations, including multisite leadership—and exceptional people development skills. They guide cross-functional teams, manage complex budgets, and collaborate closely with global technology transfer and R&D teams. The role requires an entrepreneurial mindset, comfort with ambiguity, and strong communication and mentoring capabilities. As an active member of the Global R&D Management Team, the Senior Director, Global Research Nursery fosters innovation, develops talent across the enterprise, and helps position Driscoll’s for long-term growth in an increasingly sophisticated global nursery landscape.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements Research Nursery strategies for all Global R&D breeding and research programs and is responsible for the execution of those strategies across a network of organizations and facilities, including some directly managed, as well as through internal and external partners and service providers. These strategies include the management of global breeding and research plant orders, the fulfillment of those orders on time, on quality and in quantity.
• Expands successful programs existing in one research nursery organization to another, continuously improving the outcome and the efficiencies of the organization, and preparing it for Driscoll’s projected growth.
• Oversees Driscoll’s R&D optimized global plant movement adhering to regulatory directives and maximizing genetic fit across a number of countries, sites, crops and plant types.
• Manages Cleanstock and Foundation execution for R&D and ensures the hand-off to commercial nursery partners is robust, efficient and adheres to the highest clean stock principles.
• Develops and drives a technology roadmap for the R&D Nursery Network that is driven by efficiencies and relevant data collection.
• Provides leadership and development for regional nursery leaders, site managers, and technical teams while building organizational capabilities, both through formal as well as through informal relationships and organizational structures across the Enterprise.
• Partners with the Global Technology Transfer Team to support deployment of technologies and information to growers globally.
• Maintains a deep understanding of Driscoll’s breeding and research programs, production systems and production environments, identifying the plant type and plant production solutions that augment the genetic value of Driscoll’s cultivars.
• Develops strategies to provide foundational knowledge to regional nurseries.
• Actively participates in Global R&D Management Team.
• Ensures the security of Driscoll’s confidential and proprietary information and materials.
• Oversees operational budgets for research nursery activities and participates in capital planning for nursery infrastructure and systems.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature of the work performed by employees in this job. It is not an exhaustive list of all the job's responsibilities. At Driscoll’s, all of our jobs include broad responsibilities for continually improving the processes we use to develop our products.

Candidate Profile

• 12+ years of work experience in the horticultural industry, with a demonstrated background in leading greenhouse, nursery, tissue culture labs or other related operations, and at least 3 years leading a multi-site operation.
• The candidate must have robust experience leading people and developing leaders.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and a track record of successfully directing, managing and motivating employees, as well as project teams.
• Demonstrated record managing budgets and annual operational plans, as well as overseeing capital investments.
• Ability to lead complex and cross-functional projects, negotiate with different stakeholders and establish compromises and commitments.
• Ability to mentor, teach and communicate with excellence and clarity.
• Ability to operate effectively in complex and evolving environments.
• Courageous, creative and conceptual thinker with practical planning skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, not risk-averse, notably humble and passionate about the horticultural industry.
• Ability to work with others at a high and collaborative level.
• Ability to turn plans into reality.
• Ability to travel internationally as required.

Compensation And Benefits

The following information is provided in good faith as a general description of the salary range and benefits for the position posted. The actual compensation offered to the successful candidate is dependent upon experience, skills, education, work location, internal pay equity, and other objective job-related factors.

Salary Range estimated for the Senior Director, Global Research Nursery role: $190,820.00/year to $262,380.00/year.

Driscoll’s is committed to a culture of care and offers an attractive benefits package that includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, and disability coverage for positions working more than 30 hours per week. Other benefits include: 401(k) with employer match, profit-sharing participation, paid sick time, paid vacation, paid personal and family care leave, and a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP). More detailed information regarding the benefits package will be shared during the application process.

About Driscoll's

Driscoll's is the global market leader for fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage and hundreds of independent growers around the world, Driscoll's is passionate about growing fresh, beautiful and delicious berries. Our values of humility, passion and trustworthiness have guided our mission to delight consumers around the world. Driscoll's exclusive patented berry varieties are developed through years of research using only natural breeding methods – meaning, no GMOs. From farm-to-table, we focus on delivering a high quality, premium berry experience with our many supply chain partners. Driscoll's is the trusted brand for Only the Finest Berries™.